Piper PA 18-135 accident near Kent, Oregon, April 12, 2014
On April 12, 2014 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1953 Piper PA 18-135, registered N1394Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Kent, Oregon (Unimproved Landing Site airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2014 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kent, Oregon · Unimproved Landing Site · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 18-135, built 1953 · all PA 18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N1394Y · registry record · serial 18-3357
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane had spent the morning practicing hilltop landings with a second airplane, as a flight of two. The hilltop where the accident occurred was the third landing location. The landing was uphill and uneventful, and after coming to a stop he parked the airplane, exited, and went for a hike. After returning, the first airplane departed downhill successfully, with the accident airplane in trail. The pilot reported that once airborne, the airplane drifted left, and did not respond fully to his control inputs. He further stated that a slight upslope air movement was present, and that the slipstream from the propeller of the leading airplane may have contributed to the loss of control. The left wingtip struck a tree and the airplane tumbled. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the forward cabin during the accident sequence.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Prop/jet/rotor blast/suction during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,028 hours in all; 187 in this make and model; 34.7 in the last 90 days; 11.8 in the last 30 days; 16,677 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 25, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,746.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2013; 13.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4P (piston); 1,239 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Chukar Flats OR at 3:40 pm
- Destination: NONE Kent OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 16 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KDLS, 42 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.